Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has revealed he watches Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk as a reference point for his defending.
Speaking to DSportsRadio, the Argentinian was asked which defenders he has studied, to which he replied (via Roy Nemer):
"When I was young, I watched a lot of Puyol's Barcelona and Piqué. Today, I watch a lot of Van Dijk."
Romero joined Tottenham last summer from Atalanta on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy for £42.5 million, as per football.london.
He has impressed Spurs since arriving in north London, making 32 appearances and becoming crucial to Antonio Conte's defense.
The Argentine is having a similar impact to that of Van Dijk, who quickly became one of the Premier League's leading defenders when he moved to Liverpool in 2018.
Joining from Southampton for £76.19 million, the Dutch centre-back has been one of Europe's most dominant defenders, making 184 appearances for the Reds.
He has been instrumental in Jurgen Klopp's side winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup since his arrival.
Romero's defensive abilities mirror that of Van Dijk, with the pair dominant in the air and extremely difficult to get past.
Spurs' defensive misfortunes have changed ever since the Argentinian arrived from Atalanta and they will surely be looking to make his stay permanent next summer.
Romero picks Liverpool star as toughest opponent last season
In an interview with ESPN, Romero chose Liverpool winger Luis Diaz as one of two opponents he found it most difficult coming up against last season.
The Argentine defender went toe-to-toe with Diaz on just one occasion but clearly finds the Colombian forward problematic.
Alongside Diaz, the Spurs defender also chose Chelsea's new signing Raheem Sterling as an opponent he didn't enjoy facing.
He said:
“Luis Diaz and Sterling are the two players who made me suffer the most."
Romero came up against Sterling once again this past weekend in an enthralling 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentine could have been sent off, when he appeared to tug Blues new boy Marc Cucurella to the ground by his hair in the dying embers.
Off the resulting corner, Harry Kane scored a dramatic equalizer and Romero's ever-present passion was on display as he screamed in joy.
The former Juventus defender is becoming an issue for Premier League attackers and will hopefully be tied down permanently by the north London side.